Teaching critical thinking in the English language classroom : the case of Palestine

Abstract

Teaching critical thinking has become a major goal of contemporary education. In spite of this, few studies address the issue of teaching critical thinking in Palestinian educational institution; therefore, this study examines teachers’ perception about teaching critical thinking skills in Palestinian schools. It employs different data collection tools, including a questionnaire, interviews, classroom observations, and the inspection of exams and worksheets. The study reveals that Palestinian schools do not teach critical thinking skills effectively and consistently. It discusses the following factors that impede the teaching of critical thinking: (a) Teachers lack training in critical thinking, (b) The classroom environment does not enhance thinking, (c) Most questions posed to students require recall of information, (d) Pupils are not given enough wait time to answer thoughtful questions, (e) Pupils are not trained to regulate their learning processes.